Development of skills and strength for the martial arts (including boxing) involves exercising and development of the muscles both of the arms and the legs. These may be used separately or may be used simultaneously, and a training aid will preferably be universal in nature so that it may assist in the development of either the arms or the legs, or both the arms and the legs simultaneously.
Such a training aid should, to some degree, increase the muscular effort required beyond the actual conditions of a martial arts contest. Clearly it is not possible for such a training aid to simulate an actual contest with an opponent. However, it should as far as possible be able to assist in the development of the strength required to apply the various movements and blows, both of the arms and the legs, involved in martial arts contests.
Preferably, such a training aid should be capable of being used by an individual in his own home, or in a gymnasium, without the cooperation of an opponent. Preferably also, it should be of reasonable cost, and of a high degree of reliability and safety. It should also, as far as possible, be adaptable to persons of different size, or at least within a range of sizes.
In the past, devices have been proposed for exercising the body usually in various more or less specific exercises.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,441 illustrates a device which can be attached to the wrists and ankles. Various different arm exercises can be practised and various different leg exercises can be practised. However, the stresses developed by this device for both leg and arm exercises are of relatively limited value for martial arts exercises. This appears to be because the device depends upon an attachment of the device to the abdomen, so that all stresses are developed in a direction extending from the abdomen to the ankles or to the wrists.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,097,376 illustrates a device having generally similar principles, and subject to the same limitations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,246 illustrates a device of a simpler design. In this device, two sets of elastic cords of equal length are united at a centre point, in a tubular support, so that they form a letter "H". Foot stirrups and hand grips are provided, and it is suggested that exercises may be performed with the hands holding the hand grips and also with the hands holding the tubular support. There is no suggestion in this patent of using the device for exercising leg movements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,580 illustrates a device somewhat similar to the previous device. In this case, the device is formed of a one-piece moulding of an elastic material so that there are arm portions and leg portions of equal length, with foot stirrups and arm handles at their ends, the device forming more or less the shape of two inverted letters "V". Again, this device is intended to be slipped over the feet, and held with the hands in the respective stirrups and handles, and various exercises are illustrated.
However, this device appears to be intended for general physical development, and again would be unsuitable for the specific development of strengths for practising of martial arts skills and strengths. In particular, this device is unsuitable for practising both striking, or blocking, exercises with the arms, and kicking exercises with the legs in rapid sequence and the strengths required, which is a feature of martial arts training.
In addition, it is unsuitable for developing strengths required, for example, for rapid foot work, coupled with striking and block exercises by the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,224,103 illustrates a somewhat more simplistic device. This consists of a single length of elastic cord, and two foot stirrups through which the feet may be passed. Simple leg exercises may be practised, typically being shown in the patent as a form of stride exercise.
This device is unsuitable for developing martial arts strengths using combinations of hand and foot movements in rapid sequence.